Panoramas: Vertical or Horizontal? Yes, please!
Originally Published on Medium.com, 05-Dec-2024.
Edited for website posting. All images © Jeff Goetz.
Wide or tall prints just fascinate me! Why should we be limited to 3:2 or other standard or traditional ratios?!
It’s a great feeling of being pulled into a photograph — to feel like you’re there and part of the moment. It’s inspiring. I’ve had that experience with several photos in my life, but I find it happens more with panorama photos. For years, I’ve taken photos to stitch into panoramas to capture a broader view and moment. And, I may be addicted to them.
Hi, I’m Jeff and I’m a Panorama Addict.
I’ve made extra wide ones like the one below that is mounted above my bed at home. It’s eight photos stitched together.
Lochan na H-Achlaise, Rannoch Moor, Scotland. © Jeff Goetz. Do not use without permission.
It is about 8 feet wide and 20 inches tall. It’s a view of a lochan (small lake) in Rannoch Moor, Scotland and I feel like I’m still there when I look at the photo each morning.
It’s a wonderful feeling as it was a great day and I know my wife was standing next to me. It is just a great memory.
I’ve done extra tall ones for vertical panoramas, like the one below. It is a set of six photos stitched together. It’s 2 feet wide and 5 feet tall.
I’ve taken so many photos and made panoramas with them, but only a few are printed. Wall space (and costs) are a premium so choosing prints wisely is definitely recommended.
My wife told me to slow down as she doesn’t want our house to look like a gallery. Personally, I don’t see what’s wrong with that. Having said that, we do try to get a piece of art (painting, sculpture or other piece) as a memento for places we visit, so I understand. But, the photos sure call out to me.
How do I make them?
I regularly use Adobe Lightroom Classic and Photoshop and they have panorama stitching functions that work fine. But I moved on to PTGUI (click here to check it out) as it has more features to create control points to ensure the stitched pictures are well aligned.
Panorama Photos – Daily Opportunities
While vacations and photo shoots using your full camera gear can give unique opportunities, let’s not forget the panoramas you can make directly with the camera you likely have with you all the time – your phone camera – both horizontal and vertical panoramas.
I make those all the time. I have an iPhone and the latest camera app has options for panorama photos using each lens with different focal lengths.
It’s so easy to take 3 or 4 different panorama shots using the different phone camera lens magnifications. I usually take a full view as wide or as tall as possible with each lens. Afterwards, I’ll look at each photo and decide if the composition will look better with only a certain portion of the panorama or the whole thing, and which focal length works best.
Here’s one from a visit to the Louvre in Paris. It was a quick handheld shot taken with my phone, so pardon the atrium roof squiggles.
Louvre Gallery in Paris. © Jeff Goetz. Do not use without permission.
I think I’m addicted, but there are some great pictures that the panorama format just calls out to me. Panorama photos are one of my favorite ways to capture a moment or place. With a good crop and selection, panorama photos are great!
Key Takeaway
Panorama photos are a great way to capture a location and moment with a larger (wider or taller) than the normal photo aspect ratios. The composition options are nearly endless.
By choosing how many photos you want to stitch together (and how many rows), you can create some fantastic memories and shots.
Using different lens and range of angular view, some great shots can be found.
When/where to try panoramas?
I take panorama photos for most all scenes I’m photographing. It’s so easy to rattle off a few shots (or phone pan shot). It can give you so much flexibility in post-processing to stitch them together and create a great image.
Don’t forget to use different focal lengths to change the perspective of the photos. Give yourself options to choose the best one in post.
Background desktop slideshows
I love the current trend of extra-wide computer monitors, so having a slideshow of my favorite panorama pics as my background is a great way to see and enjoy them. Quick tip: use the neutral gray color for the background of unused screen view space.
Don’t forget to print them
If you have the wall space, think about some panoramas you’d like to put there. Be patient. My hallway vertical panorama photo was years in the making. I knew I wanted a taller print there. Initially, I thought it might be an Eiffel Tower print, but my family and I love to go snow skiing and the mountain view I took is a ski slope we’ve all been down many times, so it’s a great memory for us all.
Choose the right medium (aluminum, acrylic, canvas, framed photo print) that helps the print ‘pop’ and is within your budget.
Use a measured hand when printing, it is not an inexpensive task! The end product is fantastic. My wife and I chose our prints and spent a bit more money for them with the rationale that it was still cheaper than purchasing gallery art and we were getting prints that (1) I took the photos and (2) were memories for our family.
I hope you find the prints you love to see regularly and put them on your walls, screen savers and backgrounds to enjoy them everyday!
Keep taking photos! You never know which one will surprise you, capturing a moment you’ll appreciate for a lifetime.
Enjoy Life and Thanks for Reading,
-Jeff
Copyright © 2024 Jeff Goetz. All Rights Reserved.
Originally Published on Medium in the Full Frame publication. To read more of my writing on medium, click here.
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